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Horse Bazaar

I was first introduced to Horse Bazaar by WannaChupBro a few years ago. Back then, we’d go for a stroll down Little Lonsdale St after work and end up there having a couple of beers and a bite to eat. Their menu has changed since then, probably a few times, but the food has never failed me.

For those of you who don’t know it, Horse Bazaar is a bar on Little Lonsdale St serving Japanese style food from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and my highlights from their new menu so far are the following:

1- The oh so very tender Wagyu beef that almost melts in your mouth as soon as you bite into it.

2- The ginger glazed pork belly! I think the name says it all.

3- The caramelized onion, the glowing star accompaniment on some of the platters, making everything taste better. And by everything, I mean even black pudding which I’m not usually a big fan of.

Don’t get me wrong, everything I have tried so far has been fantastic, but these items made it to the podium (my heart) without too much effort.

My choices for favourites seem rather meat oriented, but the menu actually has a few vegetarian and gluten free options. The smoked aubergine with miso soup is in fact delightful, healthy comfort food right there! Once you’re done consuming any items on that platter that you can pick up with a fork, you must, and I repeat, must make sure that the last thing you do is pick up that bowl and drink the miso soup left in it. You’ll want to remember that taste for a little while, trust me on this! If you’re up for a snack and just want some chips, don’t be scared by the word “wasabi” in their mayo. It’s not as spicy as some might think, it’s in fact rather amazing mayonnaise with a bit of a kick to it. But most importantly, whatever you try, you will be very well fed and you will not leave the place feeling hungry.

Horse Bazaar has always been “the bar with visual projections on the walls” to me. They are the first thing you’ll notice as you walk in, and the place just isn’t the same without them. There are music events most days of the week, some of them regular events that happen weekly or monthly, and then there are food specials once in a while such as the dumplings and massage deal they currently have on Tuesdays. But the best way to know what’s on is to check out their website or Facebook page.

And as one last completely-random-and-unrelated-to-food piece of information, make sure you check out the totally awesome sinks in the toilets (at least in the ladies’ room) while you’re there. It may, however, take you a little while to figure out after a few drinks how to get the water running from the right tap. You have been warned!